Karangahape Station: Works Update

Works update

6 July 2020

Kia ora neighbours,

This update provides an overview of the key work activities across our Karangahape Station construction sites for the coming weeks.

We have reinstated the public site tours at both Beresford Square and Mercury Lane. These tours are led by a subject matter expert and give you the chance to have a look at what’s happening and understand how our work will progress.

You must book for these tours. They are currently scheduled for Thursday 9 and 16 July at 3 PM and will take one hour. Additional tours will be scheduled depending on interest.

If you would like to sign up just email karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz with the subject ‘Site Tour’.

Please include any questions you may have and we will aim to get these answered on the tour. Numbers are limited so book your place now!

Our work hours are from 7 am to 10 pm Monday-to-Friday, and 7 am to 7 pm Saturday.

Kind regards
Karangahape Station team

Progress in Mercury Lane

The Mercury Lane site continues to change significantly. The progress is clear from the photo below where you can see the noise enclosure rising from the site, with the temporary shaft beneath it. The excavation of the temporary shaft has reached 14 metres and its final depth will be 22 metres. The shaft will provide access to the station's mined tunnels which will be two parallel 220-metre long tunnels running from Mercury Lane to Beresford Square under Karangahape Road.

Noise Enclosure

From Saturday June 27, across five weekends, our crew will be assembling a noise enclosure, in the Mercury Lane construction site. Working hours will be from 7 AM – 6 PM, Saturday and Sunday. The noise enclosure (as seen above in the photo) will have an additional five frames added to reach its full size and will allow us to work 24 hours underground.

It is being constructed over the temporary shaft excavation, housing a spoil storage area, the ventilation system and other construction equipment. The structure will be covered with noise reduction cladding and be approximately 46 m long, 39 m wide and 16 m high. This enclosure is temporary and will be removed at the end of the project.

Diaphragm Walls

The bentonite plant critical for the construction of the station's diaphragm wall has been completed. The diaphragm wall construction is the start of the actual station walls and is scheduled to begin this week. There are three key stages to building the diaphragm wall:

guide wall construction – this is in progress,
excavation of each panel starts next week, and
installation of the reinforcement cages and concreting, also starting next week.

The Mercury Lane diaphragm wall should be complete by October.

Progress in Beresford Square

The relocation of underground utility services such as electricity, telecommunications, gas, and mains water footprint is scheduled to be completed by the end of July. These services were within the construction footprint of the station so needed to be moved. Deep services with manholes for wastewater and storm water will complete by August, with the diversion of the 22Kva high voltage cables starting this month and targeted to be complete by September.

We have now commenced the next stage of construction with the start to guide walls which will begin along the western end of the Square. The guide walls provide the layout for the diaphragm walls which are the actual station walls.

The final demolition and heritage salvage of the old Beresford café previously located in the centre of the Square is scheduled to be complete this month.

Electric Cables

To enable the installation of new electricity cables we have formed six cable hauling pits as can be seen within the marked up photo below.

In Beresford Square near Hopetown Alpha we are excavating a 15x3 metre pit for the relocation of the high voltage 22kV cables. A second 20x2 metre pit will be excavated in the footpath adjacent to 51 Pitt Street commencing July.

From mid-July we will be trenching along the footpath from the corner of Beresford Square near the Vada Hair Salon to the pit at 51 Pitt Street. These works and the subsequent hauling of high voltage cables between the pits should complete by September.

We have diverted pedestrians along the Pitt Street footpath to accommodate the installation of this diversion. Pedestrian and business access will be maintained.

Manhole Installation

For the wastewater and stormwater diversions, we are installing up to ten main manholes scheduled to be completed by August. These are located: two at the corner by Johnny Feedback café, two at the Theta driveway, four by Samoa House Lane, two at bottom corner of 1 Beresford and one in the road by Vada Hair Salon. The manhole installation will allow us to liven the diverted utilities.

Hoardings

The Mercury Lane hoardings will be pushed out into the street narrowing the traffic lane. Please drive safely and look out for pedestrians in the area. Pedestrian traffic has been diverted across the Lane to the eastern side. This pushout will accommodate the new traffic flow of heavy trucks exiting the site.

A combination of fencing and hoarding will be installed in Beresford Square from July / August onward. Indicative layout below.

Artwork for the Hoardings

We have engaged with local artists to design a variety of artwork for the hoardings along Mercury Lane, Canada Street and East Street, and will start the installations in the coming weeks. The first design from Paul Walsh represents an urban jungle theme.

Where can I go for more information?

If you have any questions or concerns about these works, please email us at karangahape@linkalliance.co.nz or phone 0800 CRL TALK and press option 4 for Karangahape Station works.

Information and updates are also available online at www.CityRailLink.co.nz - including a page dedicated to Karangahape Station works www.cityraillink.co.nz/karangahape-station-works. You can also follow the CRL project on social media with Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

The Karangahape Station Info Hub - previously located in the old Station Bar - has reopened in one of the shop sites - 4 Beresford Square. We are between the Northern Line Pub and Johnny Feedback cafe. Come and visit us to learn more about the project.

Our opening hours are 4 - 6 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays starting 9 July.